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Arctic

Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) - USA Dataset Collection

Dataset Summary

Agency	OBIS-USA
Sub-Agency/Organization
Category
Date Released	2011
Date Updated
Time Period	16110101 - 20110303
Frequency	As needed
Description	OBIS-USA provides aggregated, interoperable biogeographic data collected primarily from U.S. waters and oceanic regions--the Arctic, the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico. It provides access to datasets from state and federal agencies as well as educational and research institutions. OBIS-USA handles both specimen-based data and survey results. Survey data come from recovered archives and current research activities. The datasets document where and when species were observed or collected, bringing together marine biogeographic data that are spatially, taxonomically, and temporally comprehensive. The public OBIS-USA site (http://www.usgs.gov/obis-usa) provides actual data contents as well as summary data about what is contained in each dataset to assist users in evaluating suitability for use. Current functionality allows the user to locate, view, and aggregate the datasets and FGDC compliant metadata as well as to view and search the taxonomic, geographic, and temporal extent. To promote data interoperability, the data are available in accordance with the marine-focused implementation of the Darwin Core data standard. In addition to basic download functions (tab-delimited), OBIS-USA offers web services for query flexibility and a wide range of output formats, such as kml, NetCDF, MATLAB, json, and graph or map output, to enable diverse types of scientific and geospatial data use and analysis platforms and products. Web services enable integration of OBIS-USA biogeographic data with other data types, such as seafloor geology, physical oceanography, water chemistry, and climate data. OBIS-USA and collaborators are further deploying the Darwin Core standard to capture richer information, such as absence and abundance, observations on effort, individual tracking, and more advanced biogeography capabilities. Data are accepted into OBIS-USA from the original developer or the holder of the data, minimizing the burden on the participant. OBIS-USA works with data providers to understand the best process to transfer the data, review the data prior to their release, gather comprehensive metadata, and then allow public access to this information. Becoming part of the OBIS-USA network is intended to have tangible benefits for participants, for example, freeing the participant from responding to requests for data and alleviating security concerns since users do not directly access the participant’s computers. As of July 2011, OBIS-USA contains 149 datasets with 7,178,729 records from 39 different participants. There are over 84,000 distinct marine taxa represented in OBIS-USA.

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Dataset Information

Data.gov Data Category Type	Geodata
Specialized Data Category Designation	Geospatial
Keywords	None, biota, marine animals, marine mammals, plants, sea birds, sea turtles, plankton, zooplankton, vertebrates, invertebrates, algae, phytoplankton, biology, biogeography, biodiversity, benthic habitat, coastal habitat, reef habitat, coral reefs, pelagic habitat, fisheries management, protected species, abundance, Census of Marine Life, Ocean Biogeographic Information System, OBIS, None, Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic Bight, Gulf of Maine, Puget Sound, North America, United States, Canada
Unique ID	B16FB4F1-EECF-DAA9-07F0-C729BDEC160B

Contributing Agency Information

Citation	OBIS-USA
Agency Program Page
Agency Data Series Page	http://obis-usa.colorado.edu/geoserver/wms?service=wms&version=1.1.1&req...

Dataset Coverage

Unit of Analysis
Granularity
Geographic Coverage	-180, 180, 90, -90

Data Description

Collection Mode
Data Collection Instrument
Data Dictionary/Variable List

Additional Dataset Documentation

Technical Documentation
Additional Metadata	XML Format

OMB Control No. 3090-0284